


Sanditon Steamy Brew Cafe

by Earthprincess4



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen, Welcome to Sanditon
Genre: Baking, Book Club, Café, F/M, Jane Austen - Freeform, Romance, Sexy Hallmark Story, Sidlotte - Sanditon, pride and prejudice - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27117091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Earthprincess4/pseuds/Earthprincess4
Summary: Charlotte is the owner of a newly opened cafe and bakery. She takes pride in her shop and her baked goods. Sidney Parker comes in nearly everyday and finds something to criticize. They both make a lot of assumptions about each other but find discussing Pride and Prejudice at a Book Club tells them a lot about themselves and each other.Written in dedication to the Sanditon Survival Book Club Facebook Group's 1st anniversary. Notice the similarities of the "Sanditon Steamy Brew Cafe?"In the facebook group, I asked everyone who wanted to contribute to write a comment and discuss Pride and Prejudice. When we get to that part in the story, these are, for the most part, everyone's comments. I hope everyone who chose to contribute enjoys their little cameo in the story.This is a short little story and I DO NOT plan to continue it.***NOW COMPLETE***
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 73
Kudos: 197





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sanditon Survival Book Club](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sanditon+Survival+Book+Club).



“Don’t look now. Mr. Parker has entered the shop,” my sister, Alison groaned. I too shared in her sentiments. Mr. Sidney Parker came into our little cafe, the Sanditon Steamy Brew Café, just about every morning and on occasion in the afternoon. We had only been open for business for two months and were trying hard to make a name for ourselves in our small community. Sidney Parker was probably our most regular customer, even if we weren’t fond of his business. Every day he came in, he had a complaint about something; his coffee was cold, it didn’t have enough cream, it was made incorrectly, his muffin was dry, there wasn’t enough meat on his sandwich, the room was too crowded. You name it, he’s complained about it. He’d always ask to talk to the manager, which was me; owner, manager, barista, baker, food artist. I did it all with the help of my sister who really wasn’t a whole lot of help when dealing with difficult customers. 

Every time Mr. Parker complained about something, I’d offer to fix it or refund his money and then he’d refuse and decide to settle for what he had. It was the most infuriating thing to deal with every day. I kept busy at the café and didn’t have time for entitled people who thought the world revolved around them like Sidney Parker. My baked goods were just fine, our coffee was just fine, even the room was just fine. We didn’t need his baseless opinions. 

“I’ll deal with him,” I offered. 

“Good luck!” she said, as I walked over to the front of the counter. 

I stared at him with contempt already. “Mr. Parker. What can I get for you today?” 

He stared at the menu on the board above me as if he was looking at it for the first time. He knew what was on the menu. He knew what he wanted to order. But just to irritate me, he wasted my time. I sighed angrily and shifted my weight to one side waiting impatiently. “Why do you stare at the menu each day as if you think it might change?” I asked.

He diverted his eyes from the menu to mine and for a moment it appeared I had caught him off guard. “Perhaps someday it will,” he answered. 

I had to fight back from rolling my eyes. His comment seemed like yet another dig. If it took him this long to stare at the menu, he clearly didn’t like what his options were. “There is a line forming behind you. If you don’t know what you want, could I suggest you stand aside and let the person behind you go first?” I asked.

“No, they can wait,” he said with a smirk. 

This time I didn’t hold back from rolling my eyes. “Alison!” I called. “Do you want to get the next person in line?” She glanced at Mr. Parker then at me and also rolled her eyes. She knew it was already starting out to be a tense morning with him.

“I’ll take a macchiato and a raspberry danish,” he said, finally telling me his order. I rang up his order and started making his coffee while he swiped his card. I glanced over my shoulder at him, feeling his eyes watching me. I assumed he was making sure I made his drink correctly. Our eyes connected for only a moment before he shifted his eyes and picked up a flier about the upcoming book club meeting we were having. If he wasn’t such an ass, I’d actually be attracted to him. 

I remembered the first time he came in. We were newly opened and eager for any customers. When I saw him, I had butterflies in my stomach. The ones you get when a really hot guy walks up to you and all coherent thought leaves your brain. He was the type of man who knew he was beautiful and used it to his advantage. He had a very elegant woman draped on his arm who was even more rude than he was on their first visit. I don’t know why I felt the need to look for rings on their fingers during that visit. I guess I was curious and thought they had to be married since they were so similar. Neither of them wore a ring and he never came in with that woman or any other woman ever again. It was just his ever so pleasant self he graced us with his presence. Once I was done making his coffee, I placed it in front of him and waited expectantly for some sort of criticism. 

He took a sip of his drink and then a bite of his danish. He nodded his head as if in acceptance. “No complaint today?” I asked.

“Did you do something wrong?” he asked.

“No, but you always seem to be so critical about everything. I’m not sure why you keep coming back when you have so many complaints about what we serve,” I said.

“Maybe I just like the company,” he said with a smirk. 

“Unlikely,” I said. I walked a small distance away and started to help Alison with the other orders. 

“You don’t think I find your company stimulating?” he asked loud enough for everyone around to hear. 

“I have my doubts you find anyone’s company stimulating,” I argued. “I’m quite certain it’s impossible for others to find your company stimulating.”

“You don’t necessarily know much about me,” he countered.

I smirked and rolled my eyes while my back was to him. I placed the drink I just made in front of Alison. She gave me a look as if she knew what I was thinking and feeling. “I got it,” she said, taking the drinks we just finished to the customers while I turned my attention back to Mr. Parker. 

“Alright. Enlighten me then. Who are you besides the man who comes in here nearly every day and finds some reason to complain about how your coffee is made, or criticize my baked goods, or even the ambiance of the room itself?”

He smirked but didn’t say anything. “Jane Austen Book Club, huh?” he asked, holding up the flier he had picked up while trying to avoid eye contact with me. I had just recently put the fliers out advertising the book club and welcoming anyone in the community to join us. My sister and I were big fans of Jane Austen’s work and wanted to discuss her books with other people who loved her work or maybe be introduced to new books with writing styles or storylines similar to hers. Beyond that, we were hopeful it would bring in some more business. If people came for a book club, they were likely to buy a drink or a treat while we discussed. “I take it this is your idea.” 

“Why do you assume it’s my idea? I rent the room out to lots of groups for similar functions,” I explained. For some reason, I didn’t want him to know it was me who was starting the book club. I almost felt as if he would have another reason to criticize me if he knew.

“You seem like the romance novel type. I imagine you sit at home on Friday nights and read rather than going out with friends or, god forbid, a date,” he gasped. “Now you’ll be sitting around a group of other lonely people discussing books.”

I glared at him. I hated that he was right. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of being right. “You obviously don’t know much about me either,” I said.

He nodded his head before tilting it to one side and narrowing his eyes scrutinizing me. “Alright. Prove me wrong then. Go on a date with me on Friday night.”

I laughed uncontrollably that I actually started to have tears in my eyes. “You’re joking right?” I asked.

“No. If the book club isn’t yours, you shouldn’t have a problem going out with me.”

I silently stared at him trying to read his expressions, his interest, his sincerity. This was odd and unlike him. He always seemed to dislike me. Why would he be asking me out? Then it hit me. He was trying to prove I was exactly who he assumed I was. If I refused, he was right. If I gave in… well, I’m not sure what his plan would be. I highly doubted he actually had intentions of taking me out on a date. “I don't think it would be a good idea,” I said. 

“And why is that?” he asked with a smirk. “Do you have other plans with a book club?”

I glared at him again and took a deep breath, letting it out angrily. “Despite what my plans for Friday night might be, I don’t go out on dates with men who find pleasure in finding fault in everything someone else does. I’m fairly certain you’re the last person I’d ever go on a date with.”

He nodded his head with a knowing expression on his face. “Enjoy your book club,” he said, chuckling as he walked away.

“Have a nice day,” I called trying to force the pleasantries.

Alison came over to me a moment later. “What was that all about?” she asked.

I sighed. “You know Mr. Parker. Any opportunity to put someone down or make them feel more miserable about themselves, he takes it.”

“What did he say this time?” she asked.

A part of me wanted to tell her how he asked me out just to prove his point that I was a pathetic bookworm who didn’t have a social life. But I was already upset and didn’t need to rehash what he said. I forced a smile and shook my head. “It’s not a big deal. He’s gone, thankfully. I’m going in the back to work.”

I headed in the kitchen area and hid for a moment trying hard not to break down crying. The man infuriated me. I took some deep breaths and tried to pull myself together. I was not going to give Sidney Parker the satisfaction of getting to me. Even if he was right, it still hurt to have him call me out like he did. I wasn’t a sociable person and very rarely dated anyone. I’d only had one sexual encounter with a man who I thought had feelings for me. Come to find out, I was one of many he was seeing. It truly broke me, and I swore off men entirely after that. My focus was on the café and becoming successful my own way. I didn’t need a man, nor did I have time for a man. I may be a fan of romance novels, but the men in the books were nothing more than a fantasy. No man was going to come charging in to declare his unwavering devotion for me like Mr. Darcy. 

For most of the day, I spent my time in the back baking and creating new treats. It was the best distraction to spend my time being creative. I was in my own little happy place decorating cupcakes when Alison called me out front to speak to a customer. For a split second I feared it was Mr. Parker again. 

“Your Charlotte?” the man asked, looking me up and down when I walked out front.

I wiped my hands on my dirty apron and walked to the counter giving him a peculiar look. “I am. Can I help you?”

He took a deep breath and nodded his head. “You can. I’m Mr. Tom Parker. I believe you may know my brother Sidney Parker. He told me this is where to go to get the best cupcakes in town. I’ll need four dozen of them for my daughter’s birthday this weekend.”

“Sidney Parker told you we have the best cupcakes in town?” I asked surprised. Since when did Mr. Parker say anything nice about our café?

“He did. And he told me you will take rush orders. I was supposed to order the cake weeks ago and spaced it. Now my wife is under the impression I took care of my responsibilities. I can’t let her or my daughter down. I don’t care what it cost.”

“This weekend is when you need it?” I asked, taking out an order form to write his request down. 

“Yes, Saturday morning if possible. I will come by to pick them up,” he explained.

“Is there a theme or certain flavor in mind?” I asked.

“Theme?” he asked confused. 

“Most kid parties have a character from a popular movie or a favorite animal as the theme of the party,” I explained.

“Oh, yes. It’s unicorns.” He shrugged his shoulders as if embarrassed by the choice of theme. “She’s nine.”

“Alright and do you have a specific flavor of cake you want?” 

“Surprise me,” he said with a chuckle. I had to roll my eyes. He seemed a little absent minded with no clue what he was doing.

“And do you want a small cake for blowing out the candles?”

He stared at me as if he was utterly confused. “The cake can blow out the candles?” he asked unsurely.

I really had to hold it together and not laugh at the poor man. “No, the cake is for your daughter to blow out candles on. Most people find it difficult to put candles on a cupcake so they order a small cake in the same theme as the cupcakes so their child can blow out candles.” I grabbed a book off the counter and showed him some pictures of what I was talking about. 

“This looks great. Please just repeat what these pictures show,” he agreed.

I nodded my head and wrote down the order. “I do charge extra for a rush order. We usually ask for a week’s notice, especially with such a large order.”

“Not a problem. Like I said, I don’t care what the cost.”

I rang up his order and explained I charged half upfront and the other half was due when he picked them up. He insisted on paying for all of it right away. I felt a huge obligation for his order. For some reason, knowing he was Sidney Parker’s brother and that Sidney himself recommended us as the best cupcakes in town, made me want to prove he was right. 

When he left, I stared at the order form in my hands and wondered what exactly Sidney told his brother about our cafe. Were there other things he mentioned? Tom seemed to scrutinize me when I first approached him as if he had already been warned about who I was or maybe what I looked like. 

“Charlotte,” James Stringer called out from across the room. I walked over to him, trying to push my thoughts of Sidney Parker aside. James Stringer was one of our employees and a jack-of-all-trades. He did anything I asked of him. He was a great friend and a huge asset to the café. Things were awkward between us now since he asked me out. I was caught completely off-guard and didn’t know how to respond to him. He was sweet and one of the kindest men I’d ever known. He was probably exactly who I needed to date. But he wasn’t my type. I liked the mysterious and challenging type of man. I found excitement in trying to figure out who a man was to the core. James was the type that wore his heart on his sleeve. He wasn’t challenging at all. I couldn’t force feelings for a man I wasn’t physically or emotionally attracted to. I couldn’t look at him as anything other than a friend. I tried to let him down easy and insisted it wasn’t a good idea because of the logistics being that I was his boss. He seemed hurt by my response but accepted it with grace and moved on.

“What is it?” I asked him.

“The oven in the kitchen is acting up again. I wanted to see if it was alright to stay late tonight and try to fix it,” he requested.

“Please,” I agreed. “I’d appreciate the help. I’m hoping we don’t have to buy a new one. Just mark the extra hours on your timecard.” 

“Will do,” he said, walking away and getting back to work. 

At least my rejection of James didn't cause him to quit. Things were still awkward, but we seemed to be getting through it.


	2. Chapter 2

When I got to the café early the next morning, I found the oven that hadn’t been working right torn apart all over the floor. I was super irritated that James left the oven the way he did. I had to step across parts to get through the kitchen. 

“What’s all this?” Alison asked, coming in shortly after me.

“James was supposed to be fixing the stove last night after we closed. Apparently, he hasn’t finished the job,” I explained.

“Great!” she said. “How exactly are we supposed to get anything done today? We have to make treats for the window, and you have that big order of cupcakes to do. What are we going to do?”

What I wanted was for her to stop talking. I already knew everything she was saying. Her reminding me wasn’t helping my anxiety. I should have told James to wait on taking care of the oven. I knew it didn’t work the best, but I had become accustomed to it and was able to manage the temperature myself. Now I was without an oven altogether. I didn’t know what I was going to do. 

“Start making up the dough for the breads and desserts. We will do what we can for now and as soon as an appliance store opens, I’ll go see if we can acquire a new stove today,” I announced. I didn’t want to have to buy a new stove, but I didn’t see any other option at this point. When James came in, he would have some explaining to do.

Alison and I spent the early morning hours making up the doughs and batters for all the treats we made. We decided to create some cake pops with leftover cake from the day before and use those as our special for the day. We would place them on display at half-off and hope more customers would be enticed to purchase them instead. It seemed like a great idea.

When the other employees started to show up shortly before we opened, I placed my hands on my hips and looked at James irritatingly. “I know,” he began. “I left it a mess. But I had to go buy a part and it didn’t work, so I thought I’d go home for the night and do some research to see if I can figure it out. I think I might know what’s wrong with it now. I can have it fixed in a few hours.”

“We don’t have a few hours,” I stated angrily. “There are things that need baked now. I thought when you said you were planning to fix it, you would continue until you did, or at least put it back the way it was. I could manage even with the troubles it had.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll start working on it right away,” he said. 

“While you do that, I’m going to see if I can find another stove that can be delivered immediately,” I announced. 

I let Alison know she was in charge while I was gone and quickly headed to the closest appliance store. Unfortunately, no one was available to deliver a stove. I went to another one and was faced with the same issue. I was about to give in and strap one to the top of my car if I had to. I came across a small restaurant equipment store and thought I might try there. I assumed I’d have the same issue again and probably be charged far too much considering they were a specialty store, but I was desperate and willing to do whatever I had to. 

I walked into the empty store and was greeted by a pleasant enough woman. “How can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m in desperate need of a stove,” I explained. “I own the Sanditon Steamy Brew Café and our stove is on the fritz. I need something immediately that works properly.”

“The Sanditon Steamy Brew Café?” she repeated. “I’ve heard of that place. You just recently opened, didn’t you?”

“We did. Just a couple months ago,” I answered. “I’m Charlotte Heywood.

“Yes, my brother goes in there quite often. He says it’s the best place to get a cup of coffee or a danish,” she explained. For whatever reason, my first thought about who she was talking about went straight to Sidney Parker. 

“Who might your brother be?” I asked hesitantly. I really didn’t want her to say it was Sidney.

“I actually have three brothers. One is around here somewhere. Arthur?” she called. A moment later, a plump and exuberant man walked around the corner. “This is my youngest brother, Arthur. He helps run the shop with me.” I shook his hand politely and gave him a smile. “I’m Diana and the brother I was talking about is named Sidney. Do you know him?”

I closed my eyes for a moment and internally laughed. Of course, he would be their sibling. I was beginning to wonder if all of Sanditon was related to Sidney Parker. “I do, actually. He’s one of our regular customers. I had the pleasure of meeting your other brother, Tom yesterday. He ordered a bunch of cupcakes for his daughter’s birthday.”

“Oh, yes. Little Jenny is turning nine today. She’s the loveliest child you’ll ever meet. Her mother is quite lovely as well. Have you met her?” Diana asked.

“I haven’t. I’m mostly only familiar with Sidney Parker.”

“He has gushed about nothing else but your café. It’s rather odd since he’s usually very critical about places. I suppose it’s what he’s used to, given it’s what he does for a living.”

“He criticizes people for a living?” I asked, finding it hard to believe that was his career, but also not surprised in the least.

Arthur laughed. “You would think that, wouldn’t you? He has made a fortune by telling people how horrible they are.”

I was curious about what he meant, but also realized I was wasting a lot of time discussing someone I had no interest in knowing more about. “About that stove. Do you have any?”

“We do,” Diana said. “Let me show you around.”

She led me down an aisle to where the stoves were and talked about each one. I couldn’t get a word in to ask a question while she continued talking nonstop. By the time she had finally stopped talking, I felt like I knew more about the Parker family than I did my own. She was definitely an over-sharer. I found her to be quite odd. Arthur, on the other hand, was similar to Tom; a bumbling idiot who dropped quite a few things in their shop while Diana and I spoke. I was surprised they made any money at all. 

“Is it possible to have something delivered within the next hour?” I asked.

“Of course,” Arthur agreed. “I will deliver it myself.”

As concerned as I was that he may end up breaking the stove before he even got it to the shop, I let out a sigh of relief. I picked out a stove and quickly paid for the overpriced appliance. Before I even left the shop, Arthur was already loading it up in a truck.

“We will have to come visit your café very soon. If Sidney gives it such a high rating, it must be rather good,” Diana said.

I forced a smile and nodded my head. “I’m looking forward to it. Please ask for me when you come in and I’ll give you a discount for your help and kindness today.”

“That’s so kind of you,” she said sweetly.

When I drove back to the café, I couldn’t help but think about Sidney recommending the café to his family. For some reason, I couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling that he had ulterior motives. What that was, still confused me. When I pulled up in front of the café, Arthur was already there. At least he was punctual. I showed him where to put it and thanked him profusely for bringing it over so quickly. He stuck around a little while longer and purchased a box with some of our treats in the front for him and his sister to try. 

The new stove was amazing. We were able to cook things at the correct temperature for a change and everything seemed to taste even better. Even though I hated spending so much money on it, I decided it was the best investment I had made for the benefit of the café.

In the later afternoon, just as things were starting to slow down, Sidney Parker walked in with three kids following behind him like little ducklings. Instead of the normal irritation that arose when I usually saw him, I had butterflies hit my stomach. For some reason, I couldn’t face him. Even though I knew he saw me, I turned around and ducked in the kitchen. 

“What’s wrong?” Alison asked, seeing my uneasiness. 

“Sidney Parker is out front,” I explained. 

She scoffed. “Are you suddenly afraid of him? You usually stand up to him and deal with his bad moods rather well. Sometimes I think you look forward to arguing with him.”

“I’m not afraid of him. It’s just been a long, trying day and I don’t want to deal with him right now,” I explained.

“I’ll take care of him,” she offered. Alison walked out only to return a moment later informing me Sidney was asking to speak to me specifically.

I groaned and left the security of the kitchen to go see him. He tried to hide the grin on his face when he saw me. I could only assume he was amused by my earlier actions of avoidance.

I sucked it up and went to face him. “What can I do for you, Mr. Parker?” I asked.

“My nieces and nephew wanted to meet the baker,” he explained. I looked down at the kids he was accompanied by. They all stared up at me with captivated grins on their faces. “It’s Jenny’s birthday today, so I brought them all here to pick out one treat each.”

“Which one of you is Jenny?” I asked, giving them a welcoming smile. A little girl with bright blonde hair jumped up and down and introduced herself. The other two kids followed her example and introduced themselves as Alicia and Henry. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Jenny. I hear you like unicorns.”

She gasped as if surprised I knew that. “I do. My birthday party is tomorrow and there’s going to be a real unicorn there.”

“Is there? How exciting. Do you get to ride it?” I asked. I glanced up at Sidney who had a smirk on his face. I assumed her parents must have hired a service for pony rides and planned to dress up the pony like a unicorn. 

“We do! I get to go first,” Jenny announced. 

“No, you don’t!” Henry shouted. “It’s not fair. You always get to go first.”

Sidney scooped Henry up into his arms and turned him face to face. “Henry, whose birthday is it?”

Henry dropped his head and sighed. “Jenny’s,” he answered.

“Who got to ride in the police car first when it was your birthday?” Sidney asked.

“Me,” he replied.

“So, who should go first on the unicorn?”

“Jenny,” Henry sounded so sad with his reply. He couldn’t have been more than four or five. I almost felt sorry for him. I was impressed by how patient and calm Sidney was with his nieces and nephew. I wasn’t expecting that from him.

“That’s right. Now, instead of arguing with your sisters, why don’t you pick out which treat you want?” Sidney turned him around in his arms so he could look into the glass enclosure. I could almost hear the children’s mouths watering as their eyes scanned the treats. 

“I want that one.” Henry pointed to a large cupcake with a mountain of chocolate frosting on top as well as a chocolate drizzle. 

“Are you sure?” Sidney asked with a chuckle. “That thing is as big as your head.” 

“I’m sure,” Henry said. “I can eat it, Uncle Sidney.”

“I’m sure you can. Your mother might murder me in my sleep though.”

“Please, Uncle Sidney?” Henry begged.

“Alright,” Sidney said, giving in to Henry’s request. I laughed at how excited Henry looked and pulled out the cupcake for him. His eyes were just as big as the cupcake as I handed it to him. Sidney told him to go find a table to sit at and to be careful not to drop his cupcake. 

Alicia picked out a cinnamon bun while Jenny picked out a strawberry tart. Both girls were thrilled with their choices. Sidney laughed as they skipped across the café to sit down next to their brother. I walked over to the register and rang up the treats so Sidney could pay. 

“It’s really sweet that you take your nieces and nephew out for treats on their birthdays,” I said. 

“It’s sort of a tradition. They look forward to it at every birthday. The next birthday will be baby James. He will turn one next month. I’m not sure his mother will approve of a sugary, sticky treat for that birthday,” he said.

“I can only imagine the mess that would ensue,” I laughed.

“I’m sure you could think of some sort of treat he could have as a one year old that won’t cause much of a mess. You have created all kinds of other treats,” he suggested.

“I’ll take that as a challenge,” I said determinedly. He laughed and nodded his head. He was different than he normally was. He was kind and almost bashful. I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this new side of him. I could only assume he was being nice because he was with the kids. “I wanted to thank you for recommending the café to your family. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your brothers and your sister.”

“You did?” he asked, looking confused.

“Tom came in yesterday to order cupcakes for Jenny’s birthday party and today I had to buy a new stove. Your sister and brother saved me a huge headache by being able to deliver immediately. I think I was charged a little too much, but it was worth it, I guess.”

“I see,” he said simply. 

Instead of letting it drop, I continued rambling on. “I’m still sort of surprised all of you come from the same family,” I laughed. “You’re all so different. You’re the intimidating, arrogant business type, while Tom seemed like a frazzled mess, and Arthur is this cheery guy who didn’t seem to have a care in the world. He’s happy to just do what his sister tells him. Your sister was quite the character. I’m fairly certain I know your entire family history after spending the short time I did with her.” I laughed again at the memory expecting him to be amused by my observations. 

His jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. A quick gush of air came out of his nose causing his nostrils to flare. “Is that your opinion of me? I’m an intimidating and arrogant man with senseless siblings?”

I realized instantly how wrong I was for saying what I said. I felt terrible for offending him. “No. That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m fairly certain I know exactly what you meant,” he said, cutting me off and putting on a front of hostility once again. Just when I thought we were getting along, I had to open my big mouth. “Thanks for your time.”

I wanted to call after him and apologize, make him understand that I wasn’t putting his family down. I actually found his siblings really sweet and kind compared to him. But for a moment I saw that kind side of him also. I couldn’t do it, though. He gathered up his nieces and nephew and ushered them out to the car.

“What happened?” Alison asked.

“I think I just made a fool of myself,” I answered.

“And you’re worried about it why?” she wondered.

I sighed and shook my head. “I’m not. I’m just worried about the business. From what I hear, he’s a pretty influential man. I wouldn’t want him to give us a bad review.”

She laughed. “Do you honestly think he would give us a good review? He does nothing but complain.”

“You’re right. I’m going to start getting ready for the book club,” I announced, heading back into the kitchen. I felt miserable for the rest of the day. I knew I needed to apologize. I thought about what I would say and how I would say it so I could be prepared, but nothing seemed right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter with the Book Club discussion. I want to give a HUGE shoutout to all the ladies who helped contribute to this book discussion from the Sanditon Survival Book Club. It couldn't have worked out better. I tried to keep everything pretty close to where it was during discussion, but you may find a few things were moved or edited to fit properly. I hope I did it justice. 
> 
> Also, the last chapter may be a little later than I had anticipated posting. I forgot my kids have an orthodontist appointment today. I will do my best to get it posted today, but some of you who live in the UK might not get it until tomorrow. Sorry!

Lots of people began showing up at the allotted time. Alison and I stood dumbfounded at the response our book club was getting. It appeared Jane Austen was still quite popular in Sanditon.

James Stringer, Fred Robinson, and Julia Beaufort were in charge of handling the orders and making the coffees during the rush of customers who arrived for the book club. Alison and I moved the chairs and small couches around to create a circle. 

Just as everyone was settling into chairs to get started, Sidney walked in. I nearly had a panic attack when I saw him. I got up and headed behind the counter as if I was working rather than there for a book club. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here again today,” I said, as he reached the front of the counter.

“Neither was I,” he said with a tone of contempt. “My sister wanted to come to the book club.”

“She needed an escort?” I asked.

He sighed and for a moment I felt bad for what I said. “Maybe I just wanted to prove my point that you are in fact in charge of this little book club.”

I shook my head and scoffed at his comment. “So, you came to make fun of me?”

“Sort of like you were making fun of my family earlier today and calling me arrogant and intimidating for offering my help to make your café better,” he argued. 

I scoffed. “You call coming in here every single day and criticizing our work offering your help?” I asked in shock. “Are you serious?”

“Charlotte!” Diana greeted excitedly, interrupting our heated argument. “I’m so excited to be here. My brother happened to pick up a flier about the book club and just new I’d want to be here. I’m a big fan of Jane Austen. Are you?”

“I am. I’m glad you were able to make it,” I said, trying to calm my anger. 

“Come, let’s sit by each other,” she said, linking her arm around mine and guiding me away from Sidney. A part of me was thankful she had, but another part wanted to finish my argument with Sidney. He was an infuriating man. Diana sat in a chair while I sat down beside her. “I know my brother can come across as sort of a jerk at times. He does mean well and doesn’t intend to offend those around him. He just can’t seem to help himself.”

“And why is that?”

“He has become quite successful for telling others what they are doing wrong. Companies pay him a fortune to give his honest opinion and suggestions on how to be better. I think he forgets sometimes to leave his opinions with the people who pay him for them and not share them with the rest of the world.”

“You mentioned a little about that earlier today,” I reminded. I honestly wasn’t that surprised, but I didn’t know that was even a career option. 

“It’s not exactly the nine-to-five job, but he’s had a lot of success with it,” she said. “He practically takes care of all of us. Not only financially, but with other little things also. Like bringing me here tonight so I didn’t have to come alone. He helps Tom and Mary with their four children quite often giving them a break and the opportunity to get things done without four kids in tow. He helps Arthur with his physical therapy. I’m sure you noticed. He had a terrible accident years ago that nearly took off one of his arms. He lost quite a bit of mobility and movement in his arm. He really has to focus to be able to pick small things up and struggles with holding on to it. Sidney even helps me with the shop. I wouldn’t be able to keep it running if it wasn’t for his support. We don’t get a lot of business. I’m sure you noticed that too. But the shop belonged to our parents when they were still alive, and I can’t seem to let it go. We would all be lost without Sidney.”

“Here is your tea,” Sidney said to Diana, handing her a cup. 

“Thank you, Sidney,” she said to him. He walked past us and took a seat on the other side. For a moment, I started to see him in a different light. Hearing about how much he helped his family and even seeing him earlier with his nieces and nephew, made me realize he wasn’t as bad as I always assumed he was. Maybe he truly was just trying to help me have a more successful café. He just came across as being rude.

Alison came over to my side and told me I should get started. “Right,” I said, remembering that I was the host. It bothered me to have to start in front of everyone. I wasn’t the social type. But I had to do what I set out to do. I stood up and took a deep breath. “Welcome everyone!” I shouted, getting the attention of the crowd to quiet them down. “We are so pleased to have such a great turnout. My sister and I have been Jane Austen fans most of our lives and love sharing our thoughts with others who share our same passion. Tonight, we are discussing Pride and Prejudice, which I believe to be the most iconic Jane Austen book. At the end of the night we can take a vote on which book to discuss next. We will meet every third Friday of the month. I think we should start by going around and introducing ourselves. My name is Charlotte.” I sat down and looked towards Diana to go next. She stood and introduced herself also. One by one, everyone in the group introduced themselves. 

“How should we begin?” Alison asked.

“Here's a question to kick off the discussion,” Mireth began. “When we think of the personality traits in the title, Pride and Prejudice, which characters most embody which trait? Elizabeth accuses Darcy of pride, but I have always thought that both Elizabeth and Darcy struggle with both pride and prejudice in their misperceptions of the other, and that both characters need to overcome both traits in order to reach their happy ever after.”

“I completely agree they both demonstrate pride and prejudice,” Andrea added. “That’s the joy of the novel how they struggle but eventually overcome them.”

“And you have the prejudice of society reflected in the first proposal and also the characters of Miss Bingley & Lady de Bourgh. I also love the caricatures Jane Austen uses, for example Mrs. Bennet,” Jane added.

“It seems they both made many assumptions about the other all the while fighting the attraction. If only they had listened to their hearts instead, they might have been able to arrive at the truth sooner,” Valerie continued. “I think this probably happens to some degree or another very often in real life. Jane Austen was truly perceptive and extremely accurate about human nature, then and now.”

“I agree,” I spoke. “I think it’s easy in today’s society to make assumptions about others because so many keep their true feelings and thoughts guarded. Someone could be under the assumption they are helping while the other could see it as a hurtful insult. I think in those times as well as today, so many things could be resolved if we stopped to listen to the other instead of jumping to conclusions.” I glanced at Sidney, feeling for the first time I may have misjudged him. Discussing Pride and Prejudice and getting the perspectives of so many other fans of the book was quite eye opening to me. Sidney’s eyes narrowed as he pondered what I said. I hoped he would understand that my comment was slightly directed at him.

“When do you think Mr. Darcy first began to have feelings for Elizabeth?” Andrea asked. “Was it the fine eyes? “I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow." Andrea quoted a line from the book, which caused many of us to sigh in admiration.

“It's funny, isn't it, because he doesn't seem to notice her at all before he makes that comment. I wonder when he first notices her eyes?” Rebecca asked.

“You’re right,” Andrea agreed. “I can’t think of the time before that, that we see him really notice her.”

“He seems to particularly like it when she turns up all muddy and flushed from her exercise in walking to Netherfield as well,” Lydia added.

“I think he first noticed her eyes and her personality when he refused to dance with her at the very first dance,” Emma suggested. “He had plenty of time to glance around and was very quick to dismiss the assembly. Just as one quickly denies having an instant attraction.”

“I think it came on quite quickly” Lisa began. “I have always thought his pride got the better of him at the ball, so much so, he didn't care what anyone looked like, he just wanted to get out of the situation. The muddy Netherfield was the start, I'm sure you are right about that.”

“Why did Darcy fall for Elizabeth? Was it because she didn't fall at his feet like other young ladies, or was she a captivating, witty beauty?” Samanthi wondered.

“I suspect she stood out for not being easily drawn to him like all the other women in his company. She demanded he actually be a gentleman rather than respected him automatically for his ten thousand pounds a year. There was obviously a physical attraction too,” Muslimah suggested.

“A lot of both. Sometimes love is a slow burner,” Lisa said.

“Yes,” Alison began. “I think he respected that she held her own in his presence. She didn’t let his insults get to her even when it would have been so easy to do so. At least she never let him know just how bothered she was by his rudeness.” 

How true Alison’s words were to my own situation. Sidney had insulted me and my café on many occasions, but I wouldn’t let him know just how much his comments bothered me.

“I think it helped that she had attractive features, but also her strong character, loyalty to her sister Jane and her refusal to follow expectations. Plus, the society ladies he was surrounded by were probably fairly boring in comparison,” Jane added.

“I think that Lizzie was different from the ladies of his acquaintance. Her self-confidence and lack of vanity made her stand out. She was quick witted and could hold an interesting conversation. She didn't fawn after Darcy's position and wealth and I think he found that refreshing,” Emma said.

“Darcy doesn't reveal much about himself. He is very withdrawn. He thinks the way he sees the world is the obvious way and is surprised when Elizabeth sees things differently,” Rebecca continued.

“That's most obvious after the first proposal when he is frankly quite insulting to her and can't understand why she is offended!” Lydia agreed.

“Elizabeth spars with Darcy, but you feel her smile as she does so. Elizabeth is witty,” Sue said.

“I think Darcy is misunderstood,” Sidney cut in unexpectedly. It was almost as if him speaking up quieted the entire room. His voice, among a group of women discussing Jane Austen, demanded attention. “I think throughout most of the book, he’s seen as this rich guy who lacks politeness and understanding of others around him, when in reality he’s just a normal guy who is sick of his situation and sees no way out. Falling for Elizabeth is unexpected and he’s not quite sure how to manage those new feelings or to make her see just how much she means to him. He doesn’t expect her to turn him down and practically laugh in his face because no other woman would ever be so bold. I think this irritates him but also makes his attraction for her grow even more, which he finds extremely difficult to navigate between the two.” 

The room was silent for a moment while we all took in his words. No one more than me understood what he meant. I started to wonder if he too was speaking more to me than to the group. He downcast eyes shot up to mine causing me to quickly look away.

“Well put, brother,” Diana applauded. “I like the way you think.”

“I like the exchange that Darcy and Elizabeth have about this very question. He says he admired her for the "liveliness of her mind" which she reframes as 'impertinence'. In short, Darcy was unimpressed by the very many young ladies out to snare a rich husband and was intrigued, as much as annoyed, by the very spirited Elizabeth Bennet who dared to judge his personality and morals instead of his bank account. Intrigue led to interest. Interest led to fascination. Fascination led to respect and admiration, which grew into love. Lizzy was the first woman to make him question the kind of man he was and the kind he wished to be. Her first rejection hurt, but it created an opportunity and desire for introspection that no other woman had ever inspired,” Mireth analyzed.

“I love this analysis,” Samanthi admired. “It was more than her beauty. She stood up to him unlike anyone else. If he was less of a man, it would have ended up with him being intimidated or dismissing her as crazy. There is a passage from "Room with a View" that I go back to often. "It was not that ladies were inferior to men; it was that they were different. Their mission was to inspire others to achievement rather than to achieve themselves. Indirectly, by means of tact and a spotless name, a lady could accomplish much. But if she rushed into the fray herself, she would be first censured, then despised, and finally ignored." Darcy was open minded enough to not ignore her. Maybe the physical attraction helped him get there.” 

“When did Lizzy first begin to feel attracted to Mr Darcy?” Muslimah asked. “Was it the tour of his beautiful estate? “To think of all this I might have been mistress.” If he wasn’t so wealthy, would Lizzy have been interested?”

"No, I don't think it's his wealth, it's the fact he seems so different at Pemberley,” Rebecca argued. “He's relaxed and welcoming. She sees a different side of him which makes her question her first assessment of him.”

“That’s what I like to think too, but his wealth did seem to impress her,” Muslimah reasoned.

“And she sees his relationship with his sister and how caring he is,” Lydia added.

“Plus, she is distressed when he sees her at Pemberley. She seeks his good opinion as does he hers,” Lisa added.

“Not his wealth so much as her new appreciation of his good taste,” Mireth added to the conversation. “His home and grounds weren't ostentatious or gaudy. She could actually picture herself being content at Pemberly, and that wasn't a mental image she'd had before.”

“I think she was attracted to him from the beginning. He was a mystery to her, but once he started showing her the guarded, impolite side of his personality, she disliked him very much. No amount of money would have mattered to be with a man so hurtful,” I thought aloud. “Once she started to see the softer side of him–with his sister, the kindness he showed her own family, and the way he tried to change his ways and show with his actions how much she meant to him, her opinion started to change.” 

“Yes, very much so,” Alison agreed.

“Agreed,” Diana said. 

“Why is Lydia so annoying?” the woman also named Lydia asked, changing the subject of topic. Many people in the group laughed. “Why are her parents so indulgent - or can they just not be bothered? How come they let her go to Brighton when she's only fifteen, knowing how irresponsible she is? Does Mr. Bennet fail as a father? He seems to prefer hiding in his study to taking any parental responsibility.”

“Oh, I love this question! You are right, she is so annoying,” Andrea agreed. “Maybe it’s a case of Mr. Bennet just didn’t care enough, and Mrs. Bennet saw herself in her? Another thing I’ve always struggled with is what on earth possessed Wickham to run away with her?”

“Yep definitely fed up by the 5th child,” Lisa agreed. “They always say the youngest is spoilt.”

“I think Jane Austen did a good job of explaining this herself. She tells us in the narrative that Mr. Bennet had originally been attracted to Mrs. Bennet’s vivacity and beauty, only to realize after they were married that she was a nitwit. So, he checked out, retreating to his library.  
Mrs. Bennet sees a lot of herself in Lydia, and being the nitwit that she is, doesn't have the skills or see the need to curb the nitwit tendencies of her youngest daughter. As for Wickham, he took Lydia with him when he fled Brighton because she was willing to put out. For a man back then, the only options for sex were marriage, mistress or prostitute. Wickham wanted to enrich himself through marriage, for example, his pursuit of Georgiana, and later Miss King. Making Lydia his mistress was an easier and healthier option than seeking out prostitutes. But I have no doubt he was no stranger to ladies of the night,” Mireth further discussed.

“I think by the time they got to the 5th child they had given up trying to control them. My parents were a bit like that,” Lydia said, comparing her own life to the Bennet parents.  
“I'm guessing she threw herself at Wickham and he just wanted sex. But yes, there wasn't any advantage for him in it beyond that. At least with Georgiana Darcy he had the hope of money.”

“That’s what I’ve always thought,” Andrea continued. “There was no advantage there for Wickam at all and if nothing else he was always looking out for his best advantage. If nothing else, he didn’t come across as a silly, stupid man.”

“Yes! That always drives me crazy,” Benedicte responded enthusiastically. “It was also like Mrs. Bennet was living vicariously through her youngest, and encouraged all her bad behavior, because that may have been how she had behaved at one time. Or, wished she had, now that she is older. I think Mr. Bennet was older than his wife, and tired of all of it by the time we meet him. He is outnumbered and prefers a witty quip to a long argument. He knew Mrs. Bennet was relentless, so why bother? Classic avoidant personality.”

“I've often had the suspicion that Wickham actually loved Lizzie a lot,” Lisa pondered. “I think Denny or others would have told him, she is getting close to Darcy and I think he did it on purpose to stop Lizzy and Darcy. It all backfired though, and I do think it was awful that they were married off, but I know that was the time.”

“I love the personality differences of the Bennet sisters, as well as the three well-known names of Jane, Elizabeth & Lydia, we have Kitty & Mary, the exact opposites. More caricature and of course, the sheer horror of Mrs. Bennet,” Jane continues.

“When I first read the novel thirty years ago, I loved the roller coaster ride Austen took us on with Darcy and Elizabeth. Hate, admiration, disappointment, forgiveness, loss, and finally mutual love. I always felt that Darcy had an attraction to her but fought it both with his pride for his social standing, and his prejudice for hers. Plus, her crazy family, as far as he could tell. I always thought that her opinion of him had been set by his opinion of her. That she would have been more open to him in the beginning, if he had not guarded himself so much. Her pride was hurt by his dismissal of her when they meet. It created the prejudice, which grew with every single encounter, until she meets him at Pemberley by accident. Suddenly he is warm and inviting to her and her aunt and uncle. He fights his attraction and his feelings but for different reasons. Less of a question and more of an opinion,” Benedicte added to the discussion. 

"I agree,” Sue said. “Elizabeth was hurt by overhearing Darcy’s comments of her and from that point forward she decided he was rude and arrogant. Only after she reads his letter after the first proposal does she give any consideration that she may have given Wickham’s opinion too much credence. Interesting to me how letters move the plot forward.”

“Why doesn't Mr. Collins marry Mary?” Rebecca asked. “She actually likes him. They were compatible.” 

“I have always wondered about that!” Mireth continued. “It would have been so neat and tidy.  
Mr. Collins has his own pride. He saw himself as more of a catch than many of us likely consider him. The eldest Lucas daughter, who was encouraging his attentions, likely flattered his ego more than the idea of the younger sister of the woman who'd just rejected him.”

“I think you are right on that,” Lisa agreed. “I think he considered Mary less of a beauty and therefore beneath him. I think he had become a minister for status rather than religion itself and Mary was very religious. It's likely she would have seen straight through him.”

“I’m not sure she’d have seen through him,” Mireth questioned. “Mary’s religiosity, in many ways, was as shallow as his. She parroted and recited, but she had no original thoughts of her own. I think they actually would have done very well together. Mary would have been happier as Mrs. Collins than Charlotte Lucas was.”

“Was Lady Catherine de Bourgh more upset about Lizzy marrying Darcy or Lydia's patched up wedding?” Donna asked. 

“Definitely Lizzy marrying Darcy,” Alison said. “She looks at the Bennet family as being beneath her in class and advantage. She believes Darcy can do better. Lydia’s patched up wedding just makes the entire family look bad and she can’t believe Darcy is actually marrying into it. She thinks he’s dropping his standards.”

A few people nodded their heads in agreement, but no one said much else.

“When it comes down to it inside every Hallmark movie is a Jane Austen story asking what the hell happened?” Stacy quipped, causing everyone to laugh. 

“Does anyone find it eerily fascinating that we have a Sidney and Charlotte among us in this group and those were the main characters of Jane Austen’s unfinished book named after our hometown of Sanditon?” Katy asked. “It’s rather bizarre, don’t you think?”

“There’s also a Jane and a Lydia among the group,” I quickly pointed out to bring less attention to me and Sidney.

“I suppose we will have to add Sanditon to the list of books to read and see if Charlotte and Sidney mirror the characters at all,” Diana suggested. I was utterly mortified by the recommendation. I couldn’t even look across the room at Sidney to see what his expression was. 

“I second that recommendation. It’s one of my favorites even though it isn’t finished. Many people have tried to finish it, but I always wonder how Jane would have written it. I’d love to see how similar our Sidney and Charlotte are to the characters of the book,” Katy agreed. 

“I think we can call it a night,” I said, trying desperately to end the topic. “Does anyone have a suggestion for the next book we should read?” Many people started calling out titles and it was decided we should take a vote. I named off each book and asked everyone to raise their hand. It came down to Emma and Mansfield Park. The tiebreaker was Sidney, who chose Emma.

Some people mingled a little while longer discussing other topics amongst themselves, while Alison and I started moving chairs back where they belonged. Sidney very kindly helped. I overheard Diana telling her brother goodbye and kissed him on the cheek. I expected Sidney would leave right after, but he didn’t. He stuck around until almost everyone was gone. Even Alison had left since she had a night out with friends planned. 

I held my breath when I saw him in the corner of my eye start to approach me. “I’m surprised you stayed for the book club and actually contributed something to the conversation. I don’t picture you as a Jane Austen reader.”

“Well, when you have a pushy sister like Diana growing up, you do what she says,” he joked making us both laugh awkwardly. 

“I assumed you were here just to make fun of me. As you predicted, the book club was my idea and what I do on my Friday nights,” I admitted. “I’m either reading or baking something. I don’t go out or have much for friends. I’ve always been a loner and find comfort in being by myself. I’ve only dated a handful of guys and really don’t have a lot of experience with men. My life is boring, I know that. It just sort of hurt to have someone point it out and make me sound so pathetic.” I was rambling. I finally stopped and took a breath.

“I suppose I should apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to offend you if you thought I was being rude. I was sincerely asking you to go out with me. When you laughed, I suppose I was a little hurt and put up a wall of defense.” 

“Can I ask why you asked me out?” I questioned, finding it hard to believe he would ever be interested in someone like me. 

He laughed sheepishly. “I suppose it’s very similar to Darcy. You don’t fall at my feet or coward away from my harshness. You stand up to me and make me realize all my faults. I’m used to women giving into my every whim. You don’t. It’s fascinating.”

“I feel as though I owe you an apology as well,” I said, sort of changing the subject. His opinion of me was slightly overwhelming. I didn’t know how to respond to such a comment. “I want you to know I wasn’t making fun of your family or trying to be rude. I guess I was a little quick with my assumptions and should have thought better of what I said. It’s been a couple of trying days. Not that it’s any excuse. I actually really like your family, especially your sister. She’s very sweet and truly saved me today. She seems to adore you. I also want to thank you for recommending the café to them. I can’t imagine why you did, but I appreciate the business all the same.”

“I know I come off as being arrogant and pushy even. I don’t mean to. It’s just what I do for a living. Companies pay me a lot of money to tell them what they need to change or do differently to be more successful. I thought I was simply giving you some good advice. I didn’t realize you took offense to it,” he admitted.

“If companies pay you lots of money to give your opinions, why did you want to give me free advice?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders as if he was sort of embarrassed to answer. “Because I want you to be successful.”

I was taken aback by his admittance. I wasn’t expecting that. “I should probably finish cleaning up,” I said, feeling as if we were both suddenly unsure of what to say next.

“Would you be interested in getting dinner with me?” he asked shyly. “We can discuss the relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy some more.”

I laughed and ducked my head in embarrassment. “I really can’t. I have four dozen cupcakes to make tonight for a little girl’s birthday party tomorrow.” As much as I wanted to, I had cupcakes to make. I couldn’t let Jenny down.

He nodded his head and smiled. “Right. I forgot Tom waited until the last minute to make that order.”

“Maybe another time?” I suggested, hoping he would understand I wasn’t turning him down because I didn’t want to go, but simply because I had work to do.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I should get going so you can get those cupcakes finished.”

He left, as did everyone else, so I could close up the café and seclude myself in the kitchen making cupcakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long delay. Kids had appointments and now I'm off to another one. I hope you all enjoy this last little chapter of the story.

I was just putting the first batch in the oven and whipping up the icing in the mixer, when I heard a strange banging noise. I flipped the switch on the mixer and listened. Again, I heard the banging noise as if someone was knocking on the door. I’d been here late in the evening and even early in the morning on many occasions and no one ever tried to get in. My heart was racing with fear. I could barely breathe as I grabbed a knife and slowly peeked around the corner. To my surprise, Sidney Parker stood outside the door. My fear subsided, at least knowing who it was. I still wasn’t sure what he wanted. I put the knife down and walked out front to unlock the door. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

He hesitated for a moment before holding up a white bag. “I brought you some dinner. I didn’t want you starving while making so many cupcakes.”

“Oh,” I said, furrowing my eyebrows at the bag in front of me. 

“And it’s just occurred to me that you are in a café and could probably make yourself something to eat rather easily if you got hungry,” he said bashfully.

I grinned, finding his shyness endearing. I reached for the bag and looked inside. “What did you bring?” I asked. Inside were two salads, some bread, and a large cup of soup. He was right. All things I could easily make here at the café. It was the gesture that counted, I guess. 

“Anyway, um… Yeah… I don’t want to keep you from your baking,” he said. He started to turn and walk back to his car.

“Do you want to stay for a while?” I called out to him. 

He turned around and looked at me with a hopeful expression. He tried hard to hide his smile. “Do you want me to?” 

“Well, you did buy enough food for two people. You might as well eat half of it, so it doesn’t go to waste,” I pointed out. He nodded his head and walked back towards me. I stood aside and let him in before locking the door again. 

When I turned around, he was a mere breath away from me. His head tilted downward, and his expression seemed nervous, but eager. I sucked in a sharp breath realizing what was happening. I almost didn’t want him to kiss me, but then I thought better of it and realized I really did want him to. “Charlotte,” he breathed, nearly touching my lips with his.

“Yes?” I whispered back, finding it increasingly hard to breathe. In a moment of weakness, I let him kiss me. He moved his lips against mine as if he was an expert at the craft of kissing. I was not. I was sure he would probably find kissing me repulsive or think my breath smelled. But when he didn’t stop and moved even closer to me, holding me against him, I finally let go of the fears rushing through my thoughts and simply enjoyed the moment. I let the bag of food drop to the floor at my side and let my arms drape around his neck as we continued to kiss as if we actually liked each other.

A sudden buzzing noise started to go off in the distance. I pulled away and stared at him with wide eyes. “The cupcakes!” I gasped. I ran off towards the kitchen and quickly pulled the first batch out of the oven. I stood at the counter, staring at the cupcakes in front of me and tried to make sense of what had just happened. A man I despised just hours ago had just kissed me, and I let him. I didn’t like letting my guard down so easily. He was clearly an experienced man, and I was not at all. This was going to turn into another one of those incidents where I’m used for sexual gratifications and nothing else. He’s probably got half a dozen girls on the side and I was about to be another one. My eyes started to well up with tears as the realization started to hit me. I hated myself for actually beginning to have feelings for him, but also believing he might have feelings for me.

“Charlotte,” he said quietly, standing across from the me at the counter. I glanced up at him and quickly wiped at my eyes, trying to push my feelings aside. I went to the sink to wash my hands again and declared I had a lot of work to do. “Can I help?” he asked.

“You don’t have to trouble yourself,” I said. “I’m perfectly capable of whipping up some cupcakes on my own.”

“Are you upset with me?” he asked. I glanced at his face and saw a sadness. 

“No,” I said, beginning to cry. Suddenly he was around the counter and pulling me into his arms. He held me tightly as I continued to cry. I hated myself even more for crying. What was wrong with me? I was usually so quick to hold my own with him. Why now did I find it necessary to break down?

“Will you tell me what I did?” he asked. “Was it because I kissed you?”

I pulled away, refusing to let him get to me anymore. “I’m not experienced like you. I don’t know how to navigate this. I hated you a day ago and now you’re here kissing me.”

“You hated me?” he asked looking hurt by my admittance. I really needed to learn how to keep my mouth shut.

I sighed. “Not necessarily hate, just strongly dislike, or maybe just misunderstand. But I realized after tonight I judged you harshly and I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. I started to actually think we could get past our differences and maybe even find some middle ground. But at the same time, I’m sitting here wondering what your ulterior motives are. How many other girls do you have lined up on the side? I can’t imagine you actually like me for me. Why would a guy like you want anything to do with a girl like me?”

“Do you think I wanted to fall for the girl who makes my coffee every morning?” he asked, suddenly sounding as if he had put that wall of defense up again. “It wasn’t exactly how I thought things would go. From the moment I met you, I’ve wanted nothing more than to be with you. Coming into the café is the highlight of my day and sometimes the only thing I look forward to ever. All because I get to see you even if just for a moment. I don’t have girls lined up on the side. And if there are, I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m not the type of man to use women for my own benefit. I want something more, something real.”

He moved in closer as if he was going to kiss me. As much as I wanted him to, I felt the need to keep myself guarded. “I need to finish these cupcakes. If you want to help, you’re welcome to stay.”

He took a deep breath, letting it out almost angrily. I almost expected him to leave, but he didn’t. Instead, he walked over to the sink and washed his hands, rolling up his sleeves and standing across from me. “What do you want me to do?” 

“Do you know how to follow a recipe?” I asked.

“It’s fairly straightforward, isn’t it?” he asked.

“You would think that, but it seems as though many people don’t know how,” I said. 

“I think I can manage,” he agreed, rolling his eyes.

While he started mixing things together for the next batch, I continued on the icing I had abandoned when he first showed up. I separated the icing in bowls and began to add the different colors to make the fun pastel unicorn colors. Once they were mixed, I added each individual color to my piping bag. I began swirling the icing on top of the cupcakes that were done and topped each one off with a gold unicorn horn. I glanced over at Sidney and noticed he was struggling with figuring out the measurements. He seemed truly irritated with himself for not knowing what to do. I tried to hold back from laughing but failed miserably. 

“What are you laughing at?” he asked. 

“Nothing,” I said, trying hard to stop laughing, but unable to. I had to fan my face to attempt to calm down.

He pursed his lips and placed his hands on his hips. “Seriously?” I grumbled. 

When I was finally able to calm down long enough to speak, I explained why I was laughing so hard. “For someone who prides themselves on being an expert on most things, you truly don’t have a clue about baking.”

He smirked, finding what I said as humorous and took a handful of flour to throw at me. I screamed as the flour hit me, which only caused me to laugh more. He too began to laugh. “Do you want some help?” I asked, once I stopped laughing so hard. 

“Sure,” he agreed, standing to the side so I could come around and help make the batter.

“Did you go to school to learn how to bake?” he asked, standing extra close to me.

I nodded my head. “I grew up baking. It was something I always had a passion for. I knew it’s what I wanted to do.”

“What about you? Did you always want to be someone who gave their honest opinion on how businesses are ran?”

He ducked his head and clenched his jaw. “It’s not something I planned to do. I sort of fell into it and found a lot of companies were eager to know how to fix things. Even though you got upset about my thoughts for your café, you still changed things I suggested, and it made things better, didn’t it? You added more fruit to your danishes, you moved some tables around, you showed your employees the right ratio of cream to coffee depending on the drink. All the things you took offense to that actually worked.” 

I didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. Every time he complained about something, I made an effort to fix it. “You did give me some good suggestions, even if I didn’t want to believe it. So, what else should I do?” I asked with a smile, turning towards him.

He grinned, as if he was excited to give me more suggestions. “Give me the satisfaction of another kiss?” he requested, leaning close. My heart raced with fear, but I wanted to kiss him again. I wanted to feel his warm lips on mine. I wanted to feel the security of his arms around me. I tilted my head and parted my lips anticipating his kiss. His nose brushed against my cheek as he slowly searched out my lips. When his lips met mine for a gentle but eager kiss, I had a rush of exhilaration go through me. I was overwhelmed with how much I enjoyed his kiss. He lifted me at the hips and sat me up on the countertop, so I was at his level. He tangled his fingers into my hair, holding my head to his as he continued to take advantage of my lips. I’d never been kissed in such a passionate way. I had a hard time believing it was possible for someone to kiss so well and actually want to share his talents with me. I was overwhelmed and desperate for more. 

I suddenly found myself tugging at his shirt and pulling it up over his head. I didn’t know what had come over me. This was something new he provoked inside of me. It was exciting and scary, but so needed. 

I didn’t shy away when he removed my shirt and bra and laid his large, strong hands on me. I didn’t feel ashamed about what we were doing. I wanted him to touch me, to know what his touch elicited deep inside, to know how much my entire body was caving the feel of his body. It was amazing the things that happened when you gave in to the desires of your own body. 

Taking charge of the moment, he wrapped an arm around me and lifted me down to the floor. It wasn’t as romantic or pleasant as I would have hoped for, but it was thrilling, and I didn’t care where we were once in the midst of what was happening. 

Sidney’s lips roamed across my body, causing the most blissful moans to escape my lips. I arched my back as he explored my naked body beneath him and started to undo my pants. I still couldn’t understand how a man so skilled in the art of lovemaking would want me. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing or how to please him. A sudden fear came over me as I thought about how much he was going to be disappointed with my lack of knowledge. I quickly sat up and swallowed hard against the lump in my throat. We both breathed heavily. I combed my fingers through my hair and tried to catch my breath. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, staring at me with so much confusion.

“I just… I don’t have a lot of experience with this. It’s probably going to freak you out, but I’ve only ever had one sexual experience and it wasn’t pleasant.”

Sidney took a deep breath and sat next to me. I could see the disappointment on his face. “What happened?”

I closed my eyes and tried to push the thoughts away. “It was my first time. He wasn’t gentle or caring at all and shortly after I found out I was one of many. He was my first and only relationship and it sucked.”

“Is that why you asked if I had other girls on the side?” he wondered. I nodded my head sadly. He took my hand in his and rubbed his thumb across my knuckles before leaning his head against mine. “I can assure you there’s no one else. I haven’t even been able to look at another woman without comparing her to you in some way since the day I met you.”

“You haven’t?” I asked, surprised by his response.

“No. You have taken over every thought I have. Doesn’t the quote go something like, “You have bewitched me, body and soul.” I giggled as he recited the quote.

“You do know that’s not actually in the book, right? It’s only in the movie adaptation,” I explained.

“It doesn’t make it any less true in this moment,” he whispered, leaning in for another kiss. He stopped kissing me, restraining himself rather difficultly. He brushed the back of his fingers against my cheek and he rested his forehead against mine again. “We can wait.”

With a deep breath, I built up the courage I needed. I shook my head and looked in his eyes. “I don’t want to wait.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, giving me one more opportunity to stop.

I laid back against the floor and pulled him down with me, kissing him passionately and eagerly. He continued to explore my body and finished removing my pants. I had to keep taking deep breaths and telling myself I wanted this. Deep down I did. But my one and only experience sort of ruined me from being able to enjoy him fully. I wanted to believe it would be different with him. “Please understand I don’t have a lot of experience in how to please you.”

He laughed and leaned above me. “You don’t need any experience to please me. I’ll do the pleasing. You deserve to know what it’s like to be loved by someone who loves you.”

I couldn’t even breathe after he said those magical words. He was too good to be true. I kept anticipating waking up from a dream and realizing he was a figment of my imagination. Despite if it was a dream or not, I didn’t want to wake up. 

He pulled out a condom from his pants pocket, which I found interesting. He clearly had planned this. I tried not to pay any attention to that fact. After slipping the condom on, he very carefully rested between my legs and shifted so he could push his cock inside of me. It wasn’t as unpleasant as I remembered the last time being. This time was slightly uncomfortable, but more enjoyable. His chest heaved as he continued to kiss me. When he couldn’t control his urge to move inside of me, he rose up on his hands and looked down at me. “Close your eyes,” he whispered, as he started slowly thrusting in and out of me. I did as he said, and suddenly the sensations he was bringing out of me were twice as strong. I whimpered uncontrollably as he pushed deeper and faster into me. I held my breath as my body began to tremble and explode with shockwaves of needle-pricks. I’d never known something could feel so pleasurable. I gasped loudly when I finally stopped holding my breath. Before I could even take a full breath of air, Sidney’s mouth was on mine again, kissing and devouring my lips with his. His movements slowed and his hard body surrounded me. His lips didn’t leave mine, causing me to gasp for air at every moment I could. Sidney’s breath washed over me as he took in my face with his eyes, reading my expression and assuring I was alright.

“That was quite amazing,” I said. He laughed and rolled to his side. I rolled too, facing him and hoping he was just as happy as he made me.

He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. “Yes, it was,” he said simply. “I quite enjoyed it and hope to take pleasure in more enjoyable moments in the near future.”

I bit my lip excitedly. “I wouldn’t mind that at all,” I admitted. He leaned over and kissed me again, taking his time to gently tease my swollen lips with his as well as with his tongue. I couldn’t have been happier in that moment. 

As much as I wanted to remain on the cold floor wrapped in Sidney’s arms, the sudden realization that I hadn’t finished the cupcakes yet hit me. I bolted up into a sitting position. Sidney leaned on his elbow next to me. “I have to finish the cupcakes,” I said frantically. I started searching for my clothing and throwing it back on as quickly as I could. I stood up and looked at the batter that Sidney had started and had no idea where he left off or if he did it right. Plus, it had been sitting out for a while. I decided it needed to be tossed. I brought it to the garbage and emptied the bowl before washing it out and washing my hands again. Sidney had disappeared into the bathroom and when he returned, snaked an arm around my middle and rested his chin on my shoulder as he watched me intently add ingredient after ingredient with perfect measurements. Once the batter was done, I started to fill the cupcake pan.

“You are really good at this,” he complimented. 

For a moment, I expected him to say something more; some sort of criticizing remark. But he didn’t, which made me laugh.

“What are you laughing about now?” he asked, beginning to laugh with me.

I shook my head and grinned before turning slightly to come face to face with him. “I like getting compliments for my baking skills from you rather than the criticizing comments.”

“I’ll remember that. I’ll try to do better,” he said, before kissing me again. “I want to do better.”

“You already have,” I assured, kissing him again. 

I finished up the cupcakes late in the evening all while Sidney stayed with me. When we had a moment to actually relax, we ate the food he had brought and completely abandoned earlier in the night. It was nice sitting at a table with him and just being able to enjoy each other’s company; or us to actually connect in a way I never thought possible, especially with him. We talked all through the night, even when I had finished the cupcakes and small cake for his niece’s birthday party, we still remained at the diner. At some point, we had fallen asleep against each other while we sat on one of the small couches in the main room. We didn’t wake until the sun started to shine through the windows. 

“Great! I need to get going,” he said, sitting up and jostling me awake. “I was supposed to meet my brother an hour ago.”

He stood up and grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair on the other side of the room. “I guess I’ll see you later?” I asked hopeful.

He stopped his urgent rushing and came to a stop in front of me. He took my hand in his and looked deep in my eyes. “I’ll come by later,” he promised, before giving me a kiss goodbye.

Once he was gone, my head swirled with memories and thoughts of the night I spent with Sidney Parker. The man I once despised was now someone I wished to see every waking and sleeping moment of every day. How strange feelings can change in an instant. 

I went into the kitchen and made sure all the cupcakes were accounted for and everything was securely packaged for delivery. I didn’t want any of the cupcakes to get messed up. For some reason, I suddenly had the added pressure of impressing Sidney’s family.

“Were you here all night?” Alison asked with a shocked tone as she walked in.

“It’s why we charge double for rush orders,” I reminded. “I’m fine. As soon as Mr. Parker shows up to pick up the order, I’ll head home and try to get a few hours of sleep.”

“You can’t keep working yourself so hard. I know you’re the pastry chef, but you can always say no to these rush orders,” she said.

“I’m not about to pass up an opportunity to bring in a large amount of money. We have to keep this place going,” I reminded.

“We are doing perfectly fine. I don’t know why you always worry about the money part.”

“I want to be successful. The book club was a huge success, the rush order for Tom Parker was a success, now if only I could get my sister to go take some orders out front and make that a success as well.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. “I’m going.”

The early morning was slow as it typically was on Saturday mornings. I was anticipating Tom Parker’s arrival any moment and wondered if his brother may have told him anything about what happened between us. A part of me wanted him to bring it up just so I could talk about Sidney, but another part of me felt very embarrassed about the whole situation. 

“Heads up, Mr. Parker is here,” Alison warned peeking around the corner of the kitchen. 

“Thanks,” I said. I scooped up the first box of cupcakes to bring them out front. 

When I came around the corner, I wasn’t expecting to see Sidney Parker. My heart raced with excitement almost instantly. I tried to hide my smile at first until I saw him smile back at me. “I was expecting Tom Parker to pick these up,” I said.

“I volunteered,” he said with a light chuckle. 

“Did you?” I asked.

He glanced at his feet a little sheepishly and grinned. “I uh… I was hoping I might interest you in attending a little girl’s birthday party with me today.”

I licked my lips and tried not to look too excited. “I don’t know. It was a long night and I am pretty tired.”

Oh, right,” he said. The disappointment on his face was rather obvious. “I’m sure you’re exhausted. I’m sorry, I should have thought about that.”

I took two steps towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips. His hands came to my hips and pulled me flush against him as he deepened the kiss. When I pulled away, he leaned his forehead against mine and breathed loudly as if he wasn’t ready for the kiss to end. “I’d love to go to your niece’s birthday party. Then afterwards maybe we can get some sleep?”

His arms circled around me while he grinned happily. “I think I like the sound of that.”

We kissed again and it seemed like the entire café was silent. I turned around and noticed not only Alison, but all the other employees staring at us with agape mouths and wide, questioning eyes. I knew I’d have a lot of explaining to do, at least to my sister. But for now, I was going to enjoy my day with Sidney at his niece’s birthday party. “I’m taking the rest of the day off. I’ll see everyone tomorrow,” “I announced. Sidney scooped up the box of cupcakes and brought them to his car while I grabbed the smaller box with the cake from the kitchen. 

I hadn’t noticed Alison following me into the kitchen. I should have known she would though. “What is going on? Are you fraternizing with the enemy?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes. “He’s not the enemy. Just because he’s pointed out a few things we need to do better with the café doesn’t make him an enemy. If you took a moment to get to know him, you might actually realize he’s a really great guy.”

“And when did you get to know him to come to this conclusion?” she asked.

I smiled as memories from last night filled my mind. “Yesterday.” I answered vaguely. I walked past her and headed back out to the front. 

Once again Sidney grinned excitedly as if he was thrilled to see me. “Ready?” he asked. I nodded my head and took his outreached hand. 

I was ready to make this official, to make a bold move, to change my way of thinking, and to make Sidney Parker a part of my life for a very long time.

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you all think of this little story. It was definitely fun to write. 
> 
> Like my husband said, I wrote a Hallmark movie with sex in it.


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